Carousel
by DarkJester3
Summary: From carousel to carousel, Rarity sweats, cries and bleeds for her art and the art of others. Every true artist sacrifices shamelessly in the name of art - but the darkest of arts take sacrifices not even Rarity is willing to make as she is taken from her creative crib and forced into a twisted reality where art is life, and her life, is next.


Leave it to the weather pegasus of Ponyville to ensure not a single cloud stained the vibrant azure sky, save for a little white tuft of moisture abandoned near the branches of the local library. Below, bathed in the radiant sun, Market Day had slowed to a languid crawl. Ponies throughout the rustic little town were resting their heads on park benches and market stalls, soaking in the midday heat, interrupted only occasionally by the frantic squealing from a panicked trio of little fillies in a homemade soapbox racer as they shot past in a brown blur.

Yet for one particular dress-maker, the beautiful day went almost unnoticed as she worked herself to the proverbial bone over a brand new dress design that one of her more-popular business associates demanded. Her once perfectly-combed mane was now in complete disarray, and her face was scrunched with intent focus as she put the finishing touches on the prototype. When the last bits of thread were sewn through the fabric, she wiped her brow and stepped back to examine her work. She stared at it intently for a long moment before a frown spread across her exhausted features. "No no no no NO! It's still missing something."

With a strenuous sigh, the white unicorn looked over the blueprints in front of her. She had never struggled this much with any dress design before, even when her friends demanded their unreasonable changes for their Gala dresses. She looked between the dress and the blueprints many times, picking out particular flaws in the design, before finally a realization clicked in her overworked brain. After mentally berating herself for missing something so obvious, she exclaimed, "Of course! Gems! That's what this needs!"

With a purposeful trot, she hurried over to the decorative chest that held her gem collection and hastily opened it with her magic. She peered inside, only to find the chest empty save for a few meager gems that would never make the cut on even her cheapest ensemble. "What... It's empty? How could I have forgotten!" Beginning to panic, she tried some breathing exercises to calm herself down. "Get a hold of yourself Rarity... You know where to find more!" She glanced at the clock and noticed it was mid-afternoon. She frowned knowingly. She was never going to finish this in time!

Still, she knew she had little choice in the matter, so she turned towards the window and peered outside, noticing for the first time just what a nice day it was. "Well, at least the weather is good." Turning away from the window, she hurried towards her bedroom. Inside, she quickly smoothed out her coat and mane in her mirror before turning to her to the closet and, after clearing a path through her colorful coterie of dresses, pulled out a fancy pair of gem-embedded saddle bags and fastened them to her her back. She double-checked herself in the mirror to ensure she looked presentable enough before heading toward her front door. She quickly put up an "Out to Lunch" sign in the window before opening the door and stepping out to enjoy the pleasant mien that characterized Ponyville. She took only a moment to bask in the warm and welcoming sunlight before she remembered her purpose and proceeded to lock the door behind her. Then, she glanced towards the gem-encrusted hills that were just vague far-away swells from her vantage point and sighed inwardly. "I'll never finish this in time..." She grumbled as she took off down the street.

* * *

It came as a total surprise when Rarity bumped into Spike in the middle of Ponyville seeing as this was one of the few times that Twilight was not by his side. He was glancing around nervously; as if in search of something.

Trotting up to him, Rarity asked, "Spike, what's wrong? You look nervous."

Spike served to face the white unicorn, his face looking glum. "Oh, hi Rarity. I can't seem to find Twilight anywhere. Have you seen her?"

Rarity brought a hoof up to her chin as she pondered. "I can't say that I have. Where did you see her last?"

"She left for some light reading in the park this morning, but she was supposed to meet me here for lunch half an hour ago!"

"The park?" That was right on her way. Realizing she could use this to her advantage, she quickly added, "I'm heading that way, perhaps you would like to come with me and look for her? After we find her, perhaps you can help me dig up some gems, yes?"

Spike's face lit up upon hearing that proposal. "You got yourself a deal!" He said, quickly leaping up on Rarity's back.

It took only a short trek for them to arrive at the park, and when they did, they wasted no time searching out Twilight Sparkle. Despite how easily Twilight would have stood out in the midst of all the pastel-colored ponies that made up the denizens of the park, neither of them saw any sign of her. Their next step was to ask the nearby ponies if they had seen her, but their efforts proved fruitless. Spike grew worried, so Rarity decided to use the tricks of her trade and put on the charm on the closest stallion she could find. It took no effort at that point to collect the information that they sought, and he was even kind enough to point them in the direction of her last known location. After a brisk 'Thank you', Rarity carried Spike off in the given direction; leaving the infatuated male saluting her departing hindquarters as he was left stranded in Rarity's dust.

When they arrived at the destination, they noticed it was desolate, and that caused Rarity to frown. "Curses, she's not here. I'm sorry Spike, it looks like we missed her," She consoled, knowing how upset he must have been. She expected him to break down into tears any moment now.

Instead, Spike leaped off her back and quickly ran over a nearby tree. There he knelt down and picked something up in his claws: It was a book with a rather strange cover. Rarity hurried up next to him and asked, "What's that?"

"This is Twilight's book!" Spike announced, his eyes wide with concern.

"How do you know?"

Spike pointed at its cover and the apparent runes etched into it. She felt strangely drawn to its magic. "This is a spellbook, and one of Twilight's favorites! She would never leave it out here like this. Something must have happened to her!"

Rarity glanced at her surroundings; looking for any of the distinctive shades of purple that made up Twilight Sparkle's mane and fur, yet she remained just as elusive as ever. "I'm sure she's fine Spike, I-"

"Twilight, are you here?" Spike yelled, cutting Rarity off. "Twilight!" His voice quickly rose in pitch.

Only the sound of rustling leaves from a sudden breeze blowing across the field answered him. She shivered from the sudden chill. It was unsettling.

While Spike searched about the area, Rarity turned her attention on her destination. The hills was still quite a ways off, and if she wanted to get back in time, she couldn't afford to wait around here looking for Twilight, as concerned as she was. With a sigh, she turned to Spike and said, "I'm sorry Spike. I wish I could help you look for her, but I had a deadline to meet for a very important client and simply no time to spare. Will you be alright on your own?"

Spike seemed to disregard her completely as he frantically continued to scour the area in search of his caretaker.

Reluctantly, Rarity turned away and whispered, "Good luck Spike..." before darting off down the road.

It was hard work digging up the gems she needed, especially without Spike's help. She had to resort to her own, old-fashioned method of retrieval, which got her hooves _very _dirty. She hated dirt. Once her dress was complete, she planned on spending the rest of the waning day at the spa to reverse all the damage this labor would wreak. "How can this day get any worse?" She asked herself, sighing openly, as she dug her hooves once more into the rough dirt.

It was the shadow of a cloud suddenly looming overhead that caused her frustrations to boil over into rage."Rainbow Dash, that's _not _funny!" She screamed into the heavens, looking up.

However, the trickster pegasus she expected to see sitting atop her cloud and laughing her hooves off was nowhere to be seen. "Who...?" She asked, turning around suddenly.

She only caught a glimpse of her assailant's hound-like claws before darkness enveloped her.

* * *

"Let me out of here! Let me out of here right _now_!" Rarity shrilly demanded as she squirmed inside the (rather smelly) bag that imprisoned her. _Damn these Diamond Dogs!_ She cursed in her mind. She thought they had learned their lesson the first time, but apparently they were as stubborn as they were stupid. Or perhaps they were stubborn _because _they were stupid. Either way, it would take another cleverly thought-out plan to get herself free this time. As stupid as they were, she had her doubts that they would fall for the same trick twice.

As she considered all her options, she felt a sudden stop in movement, and before she realized it, she was suddenly (and roughly) transferred from the stuffy darkness to the dirty floor of a cell. The dirt that was kicked up got in her nostrils, causing her to cough harshly. Before she could recover, she felt a sudden tug against her chest as she was lifted up by her saddlebags, and she kicked in the air as she dangled precariously off the floor. "Stop that, you brute!" She demanded as the Diamond Dog continued to apply pressure to her saddlebags. As expected, the saddlebags could not bear her weight for long, and the fabric quickly began to tear. When it finally gave way, there was nothing keeping her from plummeting back to the floor. Disregarding the invasive dirt this time, she quickly scrambled to her hooves and turned around, but she was unable to stop the cell door from slamming shut in her face.

She hurled herself at the steel bars as she screamed, "Who do you think you are! You can't just lock me up like some common criminal! This is no way to treat a lady!"

The Diamond Dog showed no care or concern for her blight and merely scoffed as he flung the torn saddlebags over his shoulder and proceeded to walk way.

Rarity was appalled. ""Don't walk away from me! I'm not done yelling at you!" Her complaints fell on deaf ears however as the Diamond Dog quickly lumbered of sight. With a deep, frustrated sigh, Rarity sat back on her haunches and muttered, "What am I going to do now?"

"Rarity, they got you too?" A shaky-yet-familiar voice asked from nearby.

The unicorn jumped in surprise. She recognized that voice immediately. "Twilight?" She asked, glancing into a nearby cell. There Twilight Sparkle sat with a despondent look on her face and absolutely covered in dirt. Her mane was also in shambles; seemingly coming apart in tiny, curled strands., Yet, none of that compared to what Rarity noticed was missing from her forehead.

"Twilight!" She gasped. "Your horn!"

Twilight's elegant horn had been reduced to a mere stump, and worse, it wasn't a smooth stump that might come from somepony filing it down - as dreadful as such an act would be - but rather a jagged, broken stump that seemed to imply that it was removed in a rather violent and abrasive manner.

Twilight stared at the ground glumly. "They... they shattered it when I tried to save my friends..."

"Who is 'they'? The Diamond Dogs?"

Twilight gave a slight nod of her head as she began to speak, her eyes now brimming with tears, "Our friends... they took all of our friends, and did horrible things to them. I could hear their screams from here... I tried to help, but they were too quick, too strong, and shattered my horn before I could stop them. I couldn't..." The dirt on her face gave way to the tears that began to roll down her cheeks in thin lines. "I couldn't save them!"

Rarity's heart pounded in her chest as a feeling of dread enveloped her. "Twilight, what do you mean they took our friends?"

The purple unicorn finally made eye contact with her; her wide pupils expressing the horrors she had seen. "Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie... they were here when I arrived, and now I am the only one left."

Rarity swallowed hard. What she thought was another foolish and desperate attempt by the Diamond Dogs to get her to find more gems for them was quickly turning into something far more sinister and terrifying. "Twilight, I'll find a way out of here, I promise you! Then, we'll look for our friends. I'm sure they're alright! I mean, what could these stupid brutes have possibly done to them?"

Suddenly, loud footsteps were heard coming down the corridor in their direction, and when two gruff-looking Diamond Dogs appeared from the darkness, Rarity noticed that their claws were caked in blood - pony blood.

One of them pointed a blood-smeared claw at the cell Twilight was being kept in and spoke in a deep, raspy voice, "Carousel Pony..."

Twilight's face contorted into one of sheer terror. "No! NO!" She screamed, cowering against the back wall to distance herself from them, her entire body trembling.

Rarity watched on in apprehension as they opened her cell door and filled what little vacant space there was inside with their bulk. They then grabbed Twilight by her legs and lifted her off the ground, causing her to shriek.

Her shrill, terrified cry brought a sudden surge of adrenaline-fueled rage to boil up inside Rarity. She slammed her hooves on the metal bars and screamed, "Let her go, you brutes!"

The Diamond Dogs ignored her completely as they dragged the kicking and screaming unicorn from her cell.

Rarity repeatedly pounded her hooves on the metal bars with great force, which caused more damage to her own hooves than the surprisingly sturdy metal bars that imprisoned her, but she didn't care. She wasn't about to let these monsters hurt her friend. "Let her go, I'm warning you!"

Despite all her racket, they continued to ignore her, and it wasn't until the white unicorn heard Twilight's desperate plea, "Rarity, help me!" that she finally snapped. It was now evident that she could no longer keep herself bound to her morals that prevented her from harming any other pony or creature. If she wanted to save Twilight Sparkle, then there was only one way to do so. With deep concentration, she conjured up a spell in the deep recesses of her mind; a spell that she promised herself she would never use and felt great shame for even knowing, and began the incantation.

Her horn began to pulsate with vibrant crimson energy, and just as the Diamond Dogs finally give her notice, they were suddenly struck down by magical crimson blades that cleaved them in two, or so it seemed. There was no visible damage, but they fell nonetheless, completely motionless.

Twilight could only stare at Rarity in disbelief. "What... what did you do?"

"There's no time for that!" Rarity yelled, knowing that the radiant light that was released from her incantation would not go unnoticed. "You need to grab the keys and get me out of here, _now_!"

Twilight looked on the two Diamond Dog bodies that were sprawled out before her and noticed the keys in one of their bloodied claws. She pried it loose and gripped it in her teeth before hurrying over to Rarity's cell. She tried to get the key in the lock, but without her magic, it proved far more difficult than it had any right to be. In the end, it was Rarity who had to take over with the assistance of her own magic, and the moment she turned in key in the lock, the cell door flung open on its own accord. She quickly fled from her cell and down the hall, calling back to Twilight, "We have to escape before they catch us!"

Twilight Sparkle did not hesitate to follow after Rarity, but she also didn't hesitate to ask the question that Rarity had hoped would never come, "Did you... Did you kill them?"

Rarity kept her eyes locked forward as she told Twilight the honest truth, "I don't know."

Twilight's answer shocked her. "I hope you did."

They ran as fast as their hooves would carry them. Neither of them knew if they were heading towards the surface or deeper into the labyrinth of caverns, but they had no choice except to keep moving. There was a distant sound of howling coming from behind, which meant that they were now being hunted.

Despite the pace at which they were running, the sounds only seemed to be getting closer, and the unfamiliar terrain caused both of them to trip multiple times. They quickly helped each other up without a second thought and kept going despite the pain from their falls; as they knew that they couldn't afford to stop for anything.

Soon enough, they came to an open expanse with bright sunlight shining from above. They looked up, only to notice that what they thought was a path to freedom was in fact a tiny hole at an impossibly high distance above them. It may have lead to the outside world, but getting there would require wings. Rarity recalled the one time she had actual wings, and glanced at the one who made that possible; focusing on the broken stub that remained of her once-elegant horn. That spell was lost to Twilight now, as was everything else that defined her as a unicorn. For being Celestia's most prized pupil and the bearer of the Element of Magic, it was quite a tragic fate to be sure.

"You've been here before, which path do we take?" Twilight asked suddenly, giving Rarity a hopeful glance.

Rarity, not realizing that she had been daydreaming, quickly shook her head clear and glanced around at the many branching paths before them. Despite being their prisoner once before, Rarity didn't really know this part of the caves any better than Twilight did. However, she didn't want her friend to become disheartened, so she feigned familiarity and pointed a hoof at the biggest entrance (or exit) she could see. "I remember using this corridor last time I was here, it should lead to freedom. Let's go!" She only hoped her words held true.

Their chosen path lead down a curving corridor that rapidly grew darker as they ran. As the darkness enclosed around them, so did the the sounds of their pursuers as it echoed off the walls. Soon enough, the darkness became so heavy that they could no longer see in front of them, and between that and the aching of their exhausted legs, they were beginning to lose hope.

Just when they felt like giving up, it was Rarity who first noticed the distant light at the end of the tunnel. "There! Do you see that light?" Rarity asked to the other unicorn whom she only knew was still with her in the suffocating darkness by the sound of her hoof-falls and the heaving of her chest.

"I do! Let's hurry!" Twilight replied, immediately picking up the pace.

With her heart pounding in her chest and her lungs practically on fire, Rarity galloped as fast as her tired legs would carry her. Every pain-addled step she took drew the light closer; pushing back against the shadows that seemed to encumber her. It filled her with hope, driving her on despite her bodies protest, until she and Twilight Sparkle finally pierced the last vestiges of the darkness and stepped into the open sunlight.

… Or so they thought. What was mistaken for sunlight was in fact an artificial light created by glowing crystals at the epicenter of a large, spacious cavern. "No..." Rarity's dejected voice was barely audible as her exhaustion finally consumed her and she crumpled to the floor. "How can this be...?"

A sudden, shrill gasp escaped Twilight's lips, and Rarity turned to look at her friend. All of the color had faded from her face and her pupils were wide as disks as she stared off into in the distance. "Twilight? What's wro-"

The words died in her throat as her eyes locked on the source of Twilight's trepidation. She was staring at a carousel, exactly like what somepony would find at a carnival, only this particular carousel housed the sort of rides that only the most depraved of ponies could enjoy.

The 'rides' were in fact their friends. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, they were all there. They were trussed up in fancy, decorative bits and saddles, but heavy-looking collars and golden-clad shackles chained their necks and hooves to the floor which made them anything but willing additions to the ride.

Yet if that was the worst of it, Rarity would have willed her body to move so as to rush to their aid. But something else was keeping her hooves glued to the floor and preventing her from helping her friends.

It was the knowledge that it was too late for them.

Their heads dangled lifelessly, eyes closed, signifying that they had perished, yet they remained standing upright due to the spiraling metal pole that had been driven through their backs just below the shoulder blades and punctured their sternum, skewering them onto c  
carousel. Even now, their blood continued to seep down the poles that impaled them, making large puddles on the metal floor. However, she also noticed bloodied claw prints covering each of their hooves and neckline, and two of them had even been crippled.

Specifically, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

Both of Rainbow's wings were bent at impossible angles - looking more like jagged tree branches - signifying that the bones in her wing joints having been broken in multiple places. Many of her pristine feathers were missing as well, although Rarity couldn't tell if they had been yanked out or simply came loose during a struggle.

As for Applejack, it looked as if someone had shattered the bones in her hindlegs using some sort of blunt instrument, as they were horribly disfigured and swollen, which caused her to stand awkwardly. Her pain - even before she was impaled - must have been unbearable.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had no obvious mutilations, so they either had been easier to control, or simply didn't struggle, though she hoped the latter wasn't true, for she didn't want to believe that anypony would go so willingly to their deaths (and quite a painful death at that); least of all an element of harmony.

The gruesome scene became too much for Rarity to bear, and she could not hold back the bile that came lurching up from her insides.

As she emptied her stomach on the floor, the howling of the hounds registered in her ears again, and she could tell that they were very close now. She knew that if they were captured, they would be become the newest additions on this Carousel of Death, so despite her body's protest she rose to her shaky hooves and began to nudge Twilight as she insisted, "Come on Twilight, we have to keep moving!"

Twilight refused to budge.

"Twilight! Snap out of it! They'll be on us any second now!" She pleaded.

She could practically feel the hounds foul breath on the nape of her neck now and she desperately shook Twilight. "Twilight, we have to leave, _now_!" Rarity gazed into Twilight's wide, terrified eyes and they seemed to look right through her. She was completely lost in the shock brought on from the horror she was seeing to notice anything Rarity was saying or doing. Desperate, she tried to push her along, but she was so exhausted from all the running that she didn't have the strength to move her. She then tried magic, but she had little left in her reserves after such a potent spell, and it wasn't nearly enough to move an entire pony. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she begged, "Twilight, please! Come back to me!"

There was still no response, and with no time left to spare, she regretfully left her friend behind as she dove behind some nearby rocks. The hounds and their Diamond Dog masters came bounding from the corridor just moments later and quickly surrounded Twilight.

"There is another pony. White one. With a horn. She couldn't have gotten far. Find her!" One of the Diamond Dog barked orders, which some of the others quickly obeyed to and split off in search of the rogue unicorn.

Rarity ducked her head low and backed up against the wall, quivering in terror. "Oh Celestia, please don't let them find me..." She pleaded to the heavens.

She did not how long she cowered there, and if it weren't for a familiar shriek, she never would have stopped. Her overpowering concern for her friend was what willed her body to pull itself off of the ground and to cautiously peek her head over the rocks.

Twilight Sparkle was now shackled and collared to the carousel - placed between Fluttershy and Applejack - while one Diamond Dog put a fancy saddle on her back and another forced a bit into her mouth. She tried to resist them, but her shackles and collar were sturdy and greatly limited her mobility, which caused her to make the carousel rattle on its hinges instead. "No, stop! You can't do this! Please, I beg y-" Were her very last words as the bit finally slid into place inside her mouth.

With their preparations complete, the Diamond Dogs quickly dismounted the carousel as another stepped over to a curious looking machine nearby. It had large wires coming out of its foundation that traveled towards the base of carousel, signifying that it was some sort of control panel. Something on it was pressed, which caused a small panel directly above Twilight Sparkle to open and a dangerously sharp pole began to descend from the ceiling and towards the hole. Rarity could only watch in horror from her hiding place as the menacing projectile slowly inched towards Twilight. Twilight, on the other hand, was sobbing profusely and screaming into her bit as she tried in vain to escape. It wasn't until the sharp pole came just inches away from penetrating Twilight's soft flesh that it suddenly stopped. The sudden malfunction caused Rarity to release a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. She thanked Celestia for the interruption and hoped that it would buy her enough time to think up a plan to try and rescue Twilight from her imminent doom. She forced her tired brain to think up a plan.

Suddenly, there was chanting coming from nearby, and she stole a glance in the direction of the noise. There she noticed the other Diamond Dogs were pounding their fists in the air excitedly as they chanted, "Carousel... Carousel... Carousel..." In that brief moment she had looked away, Rarity heard the nerve-grating sound of metal scraping against metal coming from the carousel, which forced her gaze back to it. Her eyes immediately widened in horror.

The pole that was just moments ago lingering over her friend was now stuck in the floor, and blood was now pooling around where it had punctured her flesh from both sides. Twilight was now dying before her; her agony clearly defined upon her face.

The cavern was suddenly alive with cheers as the growing crowd of Diamond Dogs began to form a line. Those who managed to get to the front of the line were the first ones who were able to climb onto the carousel. They quickly took a seat on one of the ponies that inhabited it - Twilight being no exception - just as the carousel whirred to life, spinning on its axis and flashing vibrant, colorful light as it played a delightful little melody.

But the music was anything but pleasant to Rarity's ears. It grated on her brain, pinching at her nerves, and filled her with a potent coalescence of rage and despair that made her blood boil. She had to do something, _anything _to make these monsters pay for what they did!

That was when she managed to tap into long-buried magic reserves she never knew she had, and by using them was able to conjure up the spell that she had used to save Twilight earlier. It may have been too late to save her now, but the Diamond Dogs would feel the fullest extent of her wrath.

Once her horn was alive with vibrant crimson energy, she leaped from her hiding place and charged headlong towards the Diamond Dogs before her.

Ghostly blades formed in the air before her, and she was able to strike down two of the brutes before they even noticed her, and a third just when they began to charge her. They were fast, very fast, and were quick to close the gap between themselves and the unicorn. Yet despite their speed and brute strength, they never laid a claw on her, as they were all cut down with just a few swipes of her magical blades.

By the time the Diamond Dogs riding the Carousel were able to dismount, they were the only ones left standing, and not for long. Rarity cut them down before they could even get close to her. She wasn't about to let them have the satisfaction of drawing even an ounce of her blood. There was enough blood on their claws already.

With all of the murderous fiends now strewn about before her, she let go of her fury and allowed herself a moment to grieve; letting out a tear-filled wail over the death of her friends.

That was when she heard it: The sound of dozens of footfalls coming from all around her. She looked up, and her rage immediately began to rekindle as she noticed fresh packs of hounds and their Diamond Dog masters begin to flood into the chasm from all directions. She was almost thankful that they had come to her - it saved her the trouble of having to hunt them down.

Seeing their fallen brethren, the hounds began to howl in despair while the Diamond Dogs stared on in disbelief.

She didn't hesitate to brandish her blades as she snarled at them; her tear-soaked eyes flaring with righteous fury. "You killed my friends... For that, there will be NO MERCY!"

They all charged her at once, and while Rarity proved a formidable adversary, the powerful magic she wielded was of a great strain to her already tired body, and she knew she couldn't keep fighting like this indefinitely. Alas, her foes seemed endless, and before long, her magic had sapped so much of her strength that she was struggling just to stay on her hooves. Her enemies didn't hesitate to press their advantage, and before long, she was surrounded. Her chest heaving and her face drenched in tears, she whinnied, "What are you waiting for? Come at me!"

They were eager to comply.

She only managed to take out a few more before she was overwhelmed. They her held down while a gruff-looking Diamond Dog wrapped an arm tightly around her neck, choking her, while he used his other claw to grab her flaring horn and yank on it.

Rarity attempted to dislodge the Diamond Dog with her weapons, but the way she was being choked was causing her focus to wane, and her blades dispersed into a harmless mist just as she tried to drive them into his backside. As she struggled to free herself while simultaneously trying to reestablish her magic, she began to feel a sharp pain in her horn - like someone was trying to pull a tooth loose. The Diamond Dog was trying to break off her horn!

Her magic failing her, she tried kicking at him; aiming for the place between his legs that would surely cause him to drop, but the hounds had their teeth wrapped painfully around her hooves, keeping her pinned her down. The pain quickly escalated, so she pushed through the agony coursing through every inch of her clawed and bitten body and focused solely on conjuring up her weapons before it was too late.

Bloody sweat perspired down her face as the blades gradually began to take shape in front of her. The pain in her horn quickly grew unbearable, but she bit back her desire to scream so as not to lose her concentration. She was so close now...

_CRAAAAAAACK_

She screamed in agony as her magic blades fizzled into permanent nonexistence while her horn, no longer able to bear the pressure, finally split apart; shattering in the grip of the Diamond Dog. She vomited up blood all over herself as the pain overwhelmed her, causing the last ounces of adrenaline to finally peter out as her exhausted body went limp. She felt the grip on her body loosen and immediately collapsed on the ground. Her eyes opened weakly, sticky from the blood pouring down her face from the open wound in her horn, and noticed the clawed feet of a Diamond Dog standing in front of her. She glanced up to stare into the face of an angry-looking Dog who then kicked her hard in her snout, breaking it. One of many painful injuries she now sustained.

Orders were barked, and Rarity could feel thick, dirty claws grasp her hooves. She was roughly lifted up and dragged towards the carousel, but she had no energy left to fight back.

They placed her in the only remaining spot left on the carousel and proceeded to shackle her bloodied hooves to the floor and latch a thick collar around her neck. The horrible, dying moans of Twilight Sparkle roused her, and when she finally managed to look up, she got a horrifyingly close-up view of Rainbow's shattered wings and bloody, impaled body. She screamed with fright, only to have the pain and anguish she had so little time to indulge in up until now finally came back full-circle, and her screams quickly transitioned into full-blown sobs. "Why... Why are you doing this!" She blubbered as the Diamond Dogs proceeded to latch the saddle on her back.

She heard a Diamond Dog's unfamiliar voice answer her, "Diamond Dogs hosting carnival, but never done before. Moon Pony guide us and give us carousel, but carousel missing rides. Diamond Dog leaders suggest pony, since pony fun to ride. We collect pony, make them part of ride. Fun for all!"

_Moon Pony? As in Princess Luna! _"No! Luna would never encourage murder! You misunderstood her, you must have! Please, just-" Her desperate words were cut short as a fancy bit was shoved into her mouth. She tried to talk over it, but it proved very effective at jumbling her words into unintelligible jargon.

Out of options, she surrendered to her sorrow; her tears making clear lines down her blood-soaked face. She knew this was the end of the line for her, and that made her feel regret over everything that she had done wrong in her life: The many times she blew off her friends to try and finish a dress design for some high-class pony just to increase her own popularity within their ranks. She was so obsessed with meeting their impossibly high standards that she would oftentimes neglect the friends that she already had just to fit in with those that - she realized now - would never treat her with the love and respect her friends had. In fact, had she helped Spike out instead of insisting on collecting gems for one-such client, perhaps she wouldn't have ended up like this; or at the very least she could have been able to avenge them properly.

And Sweetie Belle, poor Sweetie Belle, having to grow up without the sisterly love Rarity should have been there to give her. It was hard enough growing up with parents who were never around. If only she had realized this beforehand. Now, she'll never be able to make amends.

She was snapped out of her misery from the familiar chanting of the Diamond Dogs. She knew what was coming, yet despite herself, she glanced up. She could see that dreadful, sharp metal pole descending from the ceiling above her, and her sudden overwhelming terror got her body moving again. She tugged against her shackles and collar, causing her limbs and neckline to grind against the shiny metal, the likes of which scraped at her wounds and opened them even further, but she didn't care. She was going to die if she did nothing at all.

She only stopped struggling when the pole ceased its descent. She might have been relieved if she didn't already know that this was no malfunction. She knew full-well what was about to happen, so she closed her eyes and pushed out the horrible chanting that filled the chasm as she said one final prayer to the Sun Goddess, "Celestia, I failed in saving my friends, and it is now too late for me. Therefore, I have only one request: Please, don't let our deaths be in vain. Make an example out of these horrible brutes! Show all of Equestria what happens to those who would bring harm to anypony, and never let the atrocities of today happen to anypony else. Also, take care of Sw-"

She was never able to finish her prayer before her entire body erupted in searing agony.

* * *

"Sis! Sis! Wake up sis!"

Celestia awoke with a start to see her sister looming over her bed with an enormous smile. "Hmmm? What is it, Luna?"

"Look at this!" She exclaimed, unfurling a flyer she that was being held aloft with her magic. She presented it to her sister, who saw a picture of some smiling Diamond Dogs in pin-striped attire in the foreground and a flashy carnival in the background. It read: "Come join the fun at the first annual Diamond Dog Amusement Park this weekend!"

Celestia blinked at it before turning her gaze on her sister. "What's this?"

"It was my idea!" Luna said proudly.

"You started an amusement park?"

Luna shook her head. "No, the Diamond Dogs did, but I was the one who encouraged them!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't follow."

"Well, I heard about the falling out the Diamond Dogs had with ponyville after the incident with Rarity. I remembered how valuable they were to ponyville for their gem trade back before I became Nightmare Moon and I wanted them to have a chance to redeem themselves like I did so I suggested that they do something special for ponyville to get back in good spirits."

"So you suggested a carnival?" Celestia inquired.

"Yep! Not only that, I negotiated all the fun amusement park rides they should have! Like a dunk-tank - since I was certain that the residents of Ponyville would be eager to dunk a Diamond Dog or two in water after what happened to one of their more popular residents - various booths filled with fun games ponies could challenge for prizes, and even a carousel!"

"A carousel?"

"Yeah, you know? The thing that spins around and around and had various faux creatures that go up and down that the kids can ride on?"

"How would they even make one of those?"

"Well I sort-of helped them out a bit there. I found an old, broken-down one at the junk pile, so I donated it to them. Unfortunately, the rides were practically crumbling so I removed them and suggested they create their own unique rides. Oh, I can't wait to see what they come up with!" Luna explained, practically prancing in place.

Celestia couldn't help but smile a bit. "Sounds like it will be a lot of fun."

Luna proudly nodded her head before declaring, "Oh I can assure you sister, it will be something Ponyville will not soon forget!"

THE END


End file.
